explaining_errors_in_star_trekfandomcom-20200215-history
Conundrum
'' |image= |series= |production=40275-214 |producer(s)= |story=Paul Schiffer |script=Barry M. Schkolnick (as Barry Schkolnick) |director=Les Landau |imdbref=tt0708693 |guests=Michelle Forbes as Ro Laren, Erich Anderson as Kieran MacDuff, Liz Vassey as Kristin, Erick Weiss as Kane, Majel Barrett as Computer Voice |previous_production=The Masterpiece Society |next_production=Power Play |episode=TNG S05E14 |airdate=17 February 1992 |previous_release=The Masterpiece Society |next_release=Power Play |story_date(s)=45494.2 (2368) |previous_story=The Masterpiece Society |next_story=Power Play }} =Summary= After being scanned by an unknown alien spaceship, the Enterprise crew discover that their memories, along with those of the ship's computer, have been partially erased. Although they retain their practical knowledge and skills, none of the crew can remember who their crewmates are, and have forgotten their own identities. Mysteriously, during the scan, an additional crewmember, in an officer's uniform, with the rank of commander, has joined the group on the bridge. The bridge crew attempts to gain control of the situation, and Worf - wearing his baldric - assumes because he is decorated that he is the captain of the ship, and assumes command. Data, with the memory files identifying who he is unavailable, and based on where he was when the scan happened, assumes the job of bartender in Ten Forward. After considerable time, the ship's computer memory is finally reached, and La Forge brings up the manifest of the senior staff members. Among the bridge crew is listed the mysterious new member who is identified as Commander Kieran MacDuff, the executive officer. The computer also reveals what is apparently the Enterprise's mission: According to the orders, the Enterprise is part of a fleet of vessels fighting a decades-old war with the Lysians. Their current assignment is to destroy the Lysian central command headquarters, which they are to do while maintaining communications silence. In the meantime, Ensign Ro concludes that she and Commander Riker are likely romantically connected, and pursues this relationship, while Deanna Troi also realizes she has feelings for the commander. Doctor Crusher works to restore the memories of the crew, a process complicated when it's found that the medical records for the crew have been destroyed. She tries an experimental procedure on MacDuff, who apparently reacts poorly to the treatments, but later smiles when Crusher turns away. Continuing toward the target, the Enterprise encounters a Lysian ship, which is easily destroyed. Picard becomes concerned with how mismatched the firepower of the Enterprise is compared to her supposed enemies. Picard complains to MacDuff that he feels as though he has been given a weapon, taken into a room and told to shoot a stranger. Ultimately, when faced with the Lysian central command, drastically incapable of fighting them off and with 15,311 people on board, Picard calls off the mission, stating that he does not fire on defenseless people. Angered by this action, MacDuff attempts to take control of the Enterprise. Instead, Riker fires a phaser at MacDuff, revealing that MacDuff is some manner of alien. MacDuff struggles to activate the ship's weapons, but Riker and Worf defeat him. Determining that there was an artificial effect suppressing the crew's memories, Dr. Crusher works to quickly restore them to the crew. MacDuff is identified as a Satarran, a race which has been at war with the Lysians for decades. Despite their skill with memory suppression, the Satarrans lacked sophisticated weapons technology, and so had plotted to hijack the Enterprise and tilt the war in their favor. The plot foiled, Enterprise heads off to its next assignment—although Riker remains uneasy when he encounters Troi and Ro intensely conversing in the Ten Forward bar. Ro insists somewhat facetiously that they have a memory they will both treasure; Troi concludes that such actions tend to result from subconscious desires. When Riker concedes confusion, she curtly informs him that "if you're still confused tomorrow, you know where my office is." =Errors and Explanations= Plot Oversights # 'MacDuff' not using his memory eraser on the Lysians. They may possess a natural immunity. # 'MacDuff' not making himself captain. He needed Picard to lead the mission in order to act as a scapegoat. Alternatively, MacDuff might fear he lacks sufficient knowledge and experience to act convincingly as the captain, especially during combat engagements. Suspicions as to his true identity might arise or doubts concerning his mental state. # 'MacDuff' not bringing more of his people onboard. There was only room for one person in his ship, and he needs the exsisting crew's knowledge of the various systems. Equipment Oddities # La Forge being able to operate the computer, despite claims that there is no working interface. He may have been able to restore the interface system. Nit Central # Spockania on Monday, December 04, 2000 - 9:25 am: Here's an odd nit... for some reason MacDuff and Riker decided, once they discovered their ranks, that they were in the wrong seats for some reason. In the beginning of the episode, when the crew lose their memories, Riker is still sitting to Picard's right and we are suddenly introduced to MacDuff on the captain's left. At the end of the episode MacDuff is on the captain's right and Riker on his left. Now it is true that normally we see the #2 officer to the captain's right, but... how would they know that with their memories gone? Seniram Natural instinct? Strgzr 47 on Thursday, March 22, 2001 - 12:13 pm: It kinda makes sense for the XO to be on the Captain's right hand. # JAM on Tuesday, July 03, 2001 - 12:11 am: I don't know if this is mentioned in the nitpickers guides, but Mac Duff has crew quarters and everything made for him? It seems a little odd that the beam would have time to allocate him a nice room. LUIGI NOVI on Tuesday, July 03, 2001 - 4:12 am: The Satarrans could've beamed manufactured belongings into an empty crew quarters at the moment they wiped the crew's memories. (Not that this makes the plot any more plausible as a whole, but that seems to be the least of its holes.) Seniram Either that or he allocated himself a ready furnished set of quarters while using the beam on the crew's memories. # Troi beats Data at chess? Given that current computer chess programs can beat you in no time flat, and Data is way more sophisticated, is this even remotely believable? She was able to outwit Data by using an unexpected move. # The crew manifest seen in this episode when the crew rediscover their identities gives Worf’s Academy entrance date as 2357. Since Worf was six at the Khitomer Massacre, as mentioned in Heart of Glory and The Bonding, and the Massacre was twenty years prior to Sins of the Father, and that episode was set in 2366, then Worf was born in 2340, and was therefore, seventeen years old upon entering the Academy. (All of these dates are corroborated by The Star Trek Chronology and The Star Trek Encyclopedia.) Obviously, the guy who wrote the manifest info assumed that all people enter the Academy at 17 or 18, but why would a Klingon, Worf, wait that long? Apparently, he forgot to take into account the fact that Klingons grow very fast, as evidenced by Alexander, who is chronologically 2 by this episode, yet physically 10 by Earth standards, and he’s one quarter human! Alex goes on to look physically 16-18 by the time of Sons and Daughters (DS9), when he is chronologically 8. This means Worf could’ve entered the Academy when he was as young as 8 or 9, since the speed at which a Trek alien can learn and assimilate information (i.e.: progress through school) is generally commensurate with their growth rate, as evidenced by both Alexander, who was in a grade level appropriate for an Earth child of his apparent age, not his chronological age, and serving in the Klingon military at age 8, rather than in third grade, and Kes, from Voyager, who, at age 2 and 3, was learning how to be a nurse, not sleeping in crib wearing a diaper. So why did Worf wait so long? What was he doing for those 8 or 9 years? Don't forget Worf was raised by humans from the chronological age of 6, and would have needed to graduate from high school first. # When MacDuff’s true identity and agenda is revealed, Riker uses a phaser on him. Since when does Riker carry one on the bridge? Sure is a good thing he had one this time! Perhaps he decided to carry one due to the new orders, in case the enemy tried to seize the bridge. # Keith Alan Morgan (Kmorgan) on Thursday, July 26, 2001 - 4:37 am: Shouldn't the Holodeck safeties have kept the woman from hurting herself? According to the later episode Descent it requires 2 Officers to override the safeties. (Then again, maybe that rule was created after this episode?) Duke of Earl Grey on Thursday, July 26, 2001 - 4:50 pm: The same could be said about O'Brien's frequent shoulder displacements. Holodeck safeties protect people from the objects it creates (bullets, Borg, etc.), but that doesn't mean people can't get hurt in the holodeck. I don't remember the nature of the young lady's holodeck accident, and therefore can't comment upon that, but if the accident was caused by something she did, maybe the holodeck couldn't adapt to protect her. When O'Brien gets hurt, he apparently pops his own shoulder out of joint. What if he paddled at the wrong angle, or something? Could the holodeck do anything for him? I think not. Lolar Windrunner on Thursday, July 26, 2001 - 5:41 pm: Agreed. Holodeck safeties protect you from the effects of bullets and cars (leading to potentially cartoon like effects.) But it cannot protect you from your own overexertions. So a mounted knight couldn't kill you but falling off your horse could bruise and batter you. I'm not quite sure how the deck would react if you did pull a coyote and walked off the edge of a cliff but it might depend on the program. I.e you bounce or just go splat but with some minor bruising instead of becoming jello. # There is no verbal interface for the computer, then a few minutes later, with no mention that it has been fixed, Riker, Ro and La Forge get on a turbolift. With no verbal interface how are they going to get it to work? There may be a non verbal interface for emergencies. # Satarrans must have exceptional medical and computer knowledge to come up with a device capable of affecting all those different brains the same and also reprogramming Data and the Ship's computers. With medical knowledge like that why not just develop a poison and dump it on the Lysian Homeworld? They may not have the means to deploy it without putting themselves at risk. # Actually, by involving the Federation in their war, the Sataarans probably nullified the Prime Directive. So the Federation could send a fleet of ships to the Sataaran command post and demand that they surrender to the Lysians. nblackestnight on Thursday, August 30, 2007 - 4:02 pm: I didn't think of that! The Satarrans attacked a Federation ship and crew, essentially forced them to destroy a Lysian battleship, and almost killed more than 15,000 additional Lysians. I would think SF has every right to intervene in this war. =Sources= Category:Episodes Category:The Next Generation